The other day, my wife requested that I make Tomato Basil soup some time. Rather than just getting a can of it at the store, I decided it was high time to try my hand at a new recipe. So I sought out some recipes and found one that seemed like a good one (though let’s be honest, most every recipe was about the same). Well, I gave the recipe a go, and admittedly, it was a complete bust. I followed the recipe exactly, and the end result was bland and overly brothy. So I had to improvise and add in some last-minute magic. In the end, my off-the-cuff efforts were worth it, as the final product was one of the best Tomato Basil soups that my wife and I have ever had. If you’re in the mood for a good, flavorful, and healthy soup to warm you up, look no further. You’ll be glad you tried this recipe!

Ingredients

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 c. chopped carrots

1 stalk celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 lb. Roma/plum tomatoes, peeled

32 oz. vegetable or chicken broth

1 tbsp. dried parsley

2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

2-3 tsp. kosher salt

10 fresh basil leaves (plus extra for garnish/topping)

2 bay leaves

3-4 tbsp. reduced fat sour cream

1/4 c. half-and-half

4 tbsp. chicken bouillon seasoning

4 oz. tomato paste

Grated/shaved Parmesan cheese, for topping

Croutons, for topping

Directions

To peel tomatoes, add to boiling water and let boil for 1-2 minutes until skins crack. Remove tomatoes and let cool, and the skins should peel off with ease.

In a large soup pot over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add celery, carrots, onion, and garlic and cook 8-10 minutes or until softened.

Add broth and tomatoes, and season with salt, pepper, parsley, and chicken bouillon. Tie together basil and bay leaves with string or a rubber band and drop in, stirring in briefly. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 30 minutes.

Remove herbs and discard. Add sour cream and half and half.

Blend to a smooth consistency with an immersion blender, or let cool slightly and use a blender or food processor.

Return puréed soup to the pot and add tomato paste, stirring to incorporate. Bring to a low boil and let boil for 10-15 minutes until it begins to thicken.

Notes

As I mentioned above, I had to improvise off of the original recipe to add some flavor and thicken the soup. To do this, I added the extra chicken bouillon, half-and-half, couple tablespoons of sour cream, and tomato paste. I also added some extra kosher salt to kick up the flavor, since I admittedly used low-sodium vegetable stock to begin with. With these extra ingredients, the end result was much more flavorful than the original recipe, and as I said, one of the best tomato basil soups that both my wife and I have ever had.